Travelers from four war-torn kingdoms congregate at the edge of a fearsome storm, following a divine invitation emanating from deep within the Ethersea.
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—MaxFun Summary
Ethersea is the sixth campaign of The Adventure Zone, and the fourth primary season of the show.
The first five episodes of the season form a Prologue, detailing the events leading up to the formation of the city of Founders' Wake in the face of the oncoming storm. These episodes were played using The Quiet Year, a worldbuilding and map-making game by Avery Alder. The maps created by the boys in those episodes can be viewed here.
The subsequent episodes of Ethersea are played using a homebrewed Dungeons and Dragons 5e system, informed by the events of the prologue.
Travelers from four war-torn kingdoms congregate at the edge of a fearsome storm, following a divine invitation emanating from deep within the Ethersea. Join us as we build our next campaign while playing The Quiet Year, a brilliant mapmaking game designed and written by Avery Alder.
Winter arrives. The shoreside community begins the arduous process of migrating to their new undersea home. A suspiciously dormant kingdom plays its final, cataclysmic hand. Our Prologue draws to a close.
The Gallery Job[]
The gang tries to get a job with the Blue Span Contractors
A Finner, an Orator, and a Brinarr walk into a bar. Well, first they walk into a job interview, and it doesn't go so great, so THEN they walk into a bar.
Three prospective contractors for the Bluespan Brokerage embark on their first, questionable voyage in the waters surrounding Founder’s Wake. A lucrative, outrageously spicy opportunity presents itself along the way.
The Gallery Job: Part Three A brief diversion during their first undersea voyage has proven to be far more arduous (and far more dangerous) than our heroes initially expected. A race for the prize breaks out with a new, well-armed competitor.
As one crisis interrupts another, the Dreams of Deborah’s plucky crew must weigh their priorities. A Brinarr precariously teeters on the brink of death.
Our three intrepid Etherseafarers have survived their first gig, though, boy howdy, it was a close one. With Lux in hand, they go shopping for a gently used ship to call home.
Our heroes take their new ship to a VERY familiar aftermarket vendor, tacking on a few much-needed improvements. We spend a bit of time talking character classes, and finally come up with a name for the crew’s new vessel!
The Infinite Clam[]
The gang is hired by the Benevolent parish to track down a missing Benefactor Orlean.
The newly employed crew of the Coriolis take on their first official job with the Bluespan Brokerage. Devo confronts his past as he crosses paths with the leaders of the Benevolent Parish.
The Coriolis is visited by an inscrutable little guy whose name definitely does not appear on the manifest. They reach their destination in the Phytal Flats, and then things go very south, very quickly.
The heroes fend off a curious lionfish while getting their bearings within a curious bivalve. A slapdash infiltration brings them face-to-face with the Super Captain. We all love the Super Captain!
A surprising revelation about their enlarged environment sends Amber on a trip down memory lane. Unstable energies further discombobulate the Coriolis crew’s sense of scale.
The crew of the Coriolis approach the anomaly that has trapped them in their current bivalve environ. Amber takes a dive. Devo exercises surprising restraint. Zoox experiences a metaphysical identity crisis.
Amber, Devo and Zoox face off against foes both tangible and cerebral, within and without, ancient and new. The Infinite Clam’s power is harnessed at great cost.
With their first proper mission under their belt, the crew of the Coriolis attempt a series of negotiations with mixed results. A night at the Cloaca forges new friendships, while morning at the Gills forges new ... enemyships.
The Abyssal Auction[]
The gang is hired by Ol' Joshy to attend a clandestine auction.
The crew of the Coriolis take on a new mission, one that exchanges the slimy hazards of enormous mollusks for the slimy hazards of good old-fashioned capitalism. Let’s have a money fight!
After an unfortunate journey, the Coriolis arrives at a fancy, clandestine deep sea auction house. Time to do what exactly one-third of this party is good at: Shmoozing the room.
Let the money fight commence! As our turquoise heroes bid to claim their quarry, their opponents move against them, mostly because of the many terrible impressions they made in the previous episode.
Following a tense exchange of money and merchandise, all heck has broken loose. Can the auction’s bidders survive an assault from within — and without?
The Coriolis crew collect their winnings — among other things — and begin their extraction from a doomed deep sea marketplace. A slight complication: The deep sea marketplace is trying to doom them as well.
With the auction house’s security systems thwarted, the facility’s survivors attempt a hasty retreat. Zoox does what Zoox does best: Networking with unidentified, dangerous sea life.
The crew of the Coriolis returns from another pseudo-successful mission to gather up their earnings. Unknown collateral damage surfaces, and initiates a series of most unfortunate events.
Zoox, Devo and Amber take care of some personal business before the start of their next mission. Zoox learns about his birthday. Amber catches up with an old friend. Devo secures an unexpected modeling contract.
A once-vanquished threat descends upon Founder’s Wake, shaking the city’s fragile foundation to its core. A lost hero is called back into action. A voice beckons from beneath the ocean’s floor. The Coriolis crew gets sidelined.
Founder’s Wake has been transformed. As Devo and Amber adjust to their new piscine features, Finneas Cawl seeks to further reawaken his memories. A search for contraband reagents begins.
A completely unnecessary bar fight has broken out at an otherwise quiet marshland bar and grill. As Devo and Zoox clean up their mess, Amber chases down a former friend-turned-smuggler.
From the bottom of the sea, from the deepest reaches of Finneas Cawl’s mind, a voice beckons. Devo, Zoox and Amber cease to be – all in an effort to answer.
The crew of the Coriolis search for every advantage they can get their hands on before challenging the entity at the bottom of the sea. A relic from a long lost empire is unearthed.
Following an unexpected encounter with Amber's sworn foe, the Coriolis arrives at Cambria's deep sea dwelling. Devo, Amber and Zoox whip up an unconventionally stealthy plan of attack.
The Coriolis crew investigates the high-profile bovine burglary they’ve been tasked with solving, bringing them into dangers both interpersonal and spectral.
Devo, Zoox and Amber infiltrate the headquarters of the Crescendo, separately, and with varying levels of success. Devo goes undercover. Zoox boards a familiar vessel. Amber has an unexpected run-in with the wildlife.
The crew of the Coriolis has become just as endangered as the animals they’ve been tasked with recovering. Amber saddles up. Devo unmasks a mastermind. Zoox causes some collateral damage.
Team Coriolis deals with the aftermath of a rash and explosive decision. Zoox sifts through the wreckage. Amber gives ‘em the runaround. Devo confronts the man behind the curtain.
The Coriolis crew race to save the animals from a sinking ship. Amber takes up arms against the hunters. Zoox tests his communication skills. Devo gets some unexpected news.
The Coriolis returns from its latest explosive outing, and its crew begins investigating the death of a Founder’s Wake icon. Needless to say, their search for justice rubs some people the wrong way.
Tensions are high after a spirited argument at the Cloaca. A shadowy figure on the periphery of the Coriolis’ view steps into the light, and reveals something that kinda resembles the truth. Also: Shopping!
The crew of the Coriolis, with Ballaster Kodira in tow, set off to hunt down Benefactor Orlean before his plans come to fruition. As is so often the case, they get thoroughly distracted along the way.
The Coriolis responds to an ear-splitting hail seemingly received from a familiar adversary. The Benefactor’s ruse is revealed, and only Zoox, Devo, Amber and Kodira can stop it. A trio of archnemeses make their final stand.
The Coriolis crew, with Kodira in tow, infiltrate the coral tower to destroy the infernal machine at its peak. Amber is revered. Devo hums a potent tune. Zoox makes a sacred promise.
A draconic coral construct poses the greatest challenge the crew of the Coriolis has ever faced. A long dormant god confronts those who refuse to bend the knee. Friends become foes.
Cracks have formed in the firmament. Past, Present and Future collide, and the Coriolis crew stands at the inflection point. Amber battles an immortal foe. Devo ends the cycle. Zoox transcends form.
Finale: Zoox, Devo, and Amber discover the secrets of their world and others as they plan for the new futures they’ve created, as well as the future of Founder’s Wake.